41 United States Attorneys General Are Suing Meta!

33 States filed a hefty lawsuit asking for changes and what could be very hefty fines to Meta, Instagram and Facebook was filed in California on October 24, 2023.  And nine attorneys general are filing lawsuits in their respective states, bringing the total number of states taking action to 41 and Washington, D.C..

WHAT THE META LAWSUIT SAYS WHAT FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM DO TO KIDS:

META Uses Kids To Make Money

• Meta monetize young users' attention through data harvesting and targeted ads
• Specifically targets young kids

• Designs Instagram and Facebook so kids spend more time on the platforms

META Is Not truthful when it claims it's Safe and Not Addictive

• Meta represents that it's Social Media Platforms are designed to support young users' well being.
• Meta puts getting kids to go on Instagram and Facebook over safety
• Meta uses Algorithms to encourage compulsive use but doesn't tell kids
• Those Algorithms are harmful to kids mental health, even though Meta say's they are not
• Meta causes kids to compare themselves and use the Instagram and Facebook to compulsively via "Likes"
• By using disruptive pictures/video/sound and exciting notifications, kids are enticed to use and their sleep and school are interrupted.
• Instagram and Facebook use filters that are known to make kids feel bad about their bodies and have eating disorders
• Meta says they promote connection with friends, when actually they are promoting time on Instagram and Facebook
• Instagram and Facebook platforms make it easy for younger and more vulnerable kids to use, and they make it easy for kids to become addicted to these Apps and Meta misrepresents these flaws.
• Meta collects data without parent consent even though they know their Apps are directed to kids.

Hundreds of pages detail the many ways that Meta harms kids while knowing it. They include research that links their Social Media Platforms to depression, anxiety, insomnia and interference with life and education.  They show Instagram ads that are targeted to kids and explain that Instagram wants to monetize them and keep them as a customer for life.

Social Media can be very scary for kids and their parents.  That's why my daughter and I created this: A great interactive book to pave the way to understanding, safety and peace when it comes to Social Media and your children.

Later in the lawsuit pages, each State presents specific laws Meta has violated from Fraud to Coercion. What the Attorney General ask for are changes, they want a “permanent injunction to stop ongoing violations and prevent future violations of the COPPA Rule by Meta” Then the lawsuit proposes fines.  The fines are by State and by violations of each State's law.

Indeed this is a Big Lawsuit.

Reuters wrote that Meta said it was "disappointed" in the lawsuit.

Oh, okay.

They also report:

By suing, authorities are seeking to patch holes left by the U.S. Congress' inability to pass new online protections for children despite years of discussions.

Colorado Attorney General Philip Weiser said the whistleblower's revelations showed that Meta knew how Facebook and Instagram were harming children.

"It is very clear that decisions made by social media platforms, like Meta, are part of what is driving mental health harms, physical health harms, and threats that we can't ignore," he said.

I want you to know as much as you can about Social Media and How to Protect Your Kids NOW.  Here's a detailed guide